A newly identified malicious program called the BotVoice.A Trojan not only messes up its victims' computers, it taunts them too. The victim must first download and install it, but once that happens the Trojan sets to work trying to delete everything from the victim's hard drive, while at the same time endlessly repeating an audible message, apparently designed to taunt the victim. "You have been infected I repeat you have been infected and your system files have been deleted. Sorry. Have a nice day and bye bye."

It does this by using a text-reading program that is part of the Windows operating system. Users of Windows 2003, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98 and 95 are all at risk. Unlike a virus, BotVoice.A does not jump from computer to computer on its own, but spreads via p2p networks or storage devices. The Trojan is unusual because unlike most malware written these days, it appears to be designed to perform mindless vandalism, said Roger Thompson, chief technology officer with Exploit Prevention Labs Incorporated. "I haven't seen brainless vandalism like that for years. The good news is that such a Trojan will never be widespread, because everything is profit-oriented now, and there's not a lot of money in taunting someone."